. >> warner: you're no jack kennedy. >> had no impact on the race. four years ago when palin and biden debated, biden's victory over palin added to the problems that mccain was having and furthered that. but by and large we don't see these debates as really very consequential in terms of a horse race. >> warner: imagine we can expect a large audience anyway. andy, susan and stu, thank you. >> thanks. you. >> brown: finally tonight: one of the world's leading story- tellers, who became part of one of the world's most dramatic stories. it was in 1989 that salman rushdie's novel was denounced by muslims as blasphemy against the prophet mohammed igniting a fire storm. the book was banned and violent protest took place in parts of the islamic world. bookstores in britain that carried it were bombed. within several years the book's japannese translator killed, its norwegian publisher ahead. khomeini spiritual leader of islam's republic issued a decree for his death. the author went into hiding for nearly a decade before the fatwa was lifted. now salman rus